Dinner is served

I'm a big fan of stove-top suppers. I tell myself that I could save time by using the crock pot more or by assembling a casserole in the afternoon to be baked while I'm outside doing chores, but I don't. Most of the time I rely on easy stove-top meals. We eat a lot pasta (prepared assorted ways) and stir-fried vegetables and meat with rice. Here are two of my favorite stove-top recipes:

Taco Skillet

Serves 5 – Ready in about 30 minutes.

Ingredients:
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 (1.25 ounce) envelop taco seasoning mix
• 1 cup taco sauce or salsa
• 1.5 cups water
• 1.5 cups uncooked instant brown rice
• Optional: 1 15-ounce can refried beans
• Optional: 1 10-ounce can petite diced tomatoes with or without chiles
• shredded taco blend or co-jack cheese
• shredded lettuce
• sour cream

Directions:
Brown ground beef in large skillet and drain. Stir in seasoning mix, taco sauce, water (use the water to rinse the taco sauce jar!), beans (if using) and tomatoes (if using). Heat mixture to boiling; stir in rice. Boil 1 minute; remove from heat. Cover and let stand 8 minutes. Fluff mixture; sprinkle with cheese. Cover and let stand 2 minutes more. Serve with lettuce and sour cream. Leftover taco skillet is great wrapped in a tortilla.

Cheeseburger Pasta

Serves 4 – Ready in 20 minutes.

Ingredients:
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 can cheddar cheese soup
• 1 can beef broth (or 1.25 cups water + beef bouillon)
• 1 cup milk
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 2 cups uncooked whole wheat penne pasta (or other medium sized pasta)

Directions:
Brown ground beef in large skillet and drain. Add soup, broth, milk, water and ketchup. Mix well (a silicone whisk works really well for this if you're using a non-stick pan). Stir in pasta. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until pasta is tender.

Enjoy dinner!

What's your favorite easy meal?